European countries urged to introduce separate food waste collections

European countries including the UK need to “get ready” to introduce separate food waste collections, according to heads of the global and UK food waste recycling associations.

Calls were in response to the EU’s official publication of its Circular Economy Package, which sets new targets of 65% recycling of municipal waste by 2035 and separate biowaste collection by December 2023.

EU Member States have two years to transcribe the package into their own national laws after it comes into place on 4 July.

Charlotte Morton, chief executive of the UK Anaerobic Digestions & Bioresources Association (ADBA), said: “We fully expect the UK to implement these targets as an existing member of the EU.

“December 2023 is just over five years away, so local authorities in England need to start factoring the requirement for separate food waste collections into their plans and use contract renewals as an opportunity to introduce collections at the lowest possible cost and with maximum effectiveness.”

In May, the World Biogas Assocation (WBA) launched Global Food Waste Management: An Implementation Guide for Cities, which offers guidance and case studies on food waste collection and recycling through anaerobic digestion.

WBA will be holding the UK launch of the report at UK AD & World Biogas Expo 2018 on 11-12 July at the NEC in Birmingham.